Keshan disease

The Keshan disease is a disease of the heart muscle (cardiomyopathy ) that occurs mainly in selenium- poor areas. Selenium is an essential trace element that is part of the rare amino acid selenocysteine ​​. Selenocysteine ​​is present in the enzyme glutathione peroxidase, which is involved in the human body in the defense against oxidative stress. Especially children and young women are affected by the disease. It is endemic in some rural areas of China, where the soil is very low in selenium. It was named after the county Keshan of Qiqihaer City in northeast China's Heilongjiang Province in Manchuria.

There occur acute, subacute, chronic and latent profiles. Clinically the disease manifests in heart problems such as heart failure, arrhythmia, ECG changes, and at worst in cardiogenic shock. This builds upon the development of cardiomyopathy, hypertrophic heart and is increasingly converted to connective tissue, cellular infiltrates and calcifications do occur.

As the disease develops is ultimately unclear. Animal studies suggest that the human coxsackievirus B3 ( CVB3 / 0) is involved in the disease process. But the outbreak of the disease occurs only if selenium deficiency. Therefore, this deficiency has long been regarded as the sole cause. Little is known about the interaction of the factors ( viral infection, nutritional deficiency ). However, it could be shown that both selenium and vitamin E deficiency cause mutations in the genome of the virus. Also selenium inhibits the replication of the virus genome.

The occurrence of the disease can be curbed by prophylactic intake of sodium selenite or organic selenium-containing fungal cultures in the affected areas.